Director, Public Affairs and Regional Lead

About us At NATIONAL, we are driven by purpose, creativity, and connection. For 50 years, our teams across Canada have been delivering strategic communications expertise that helps organizations shape conversations that matter. NATIONAL is seeking a senior communications leader for Newfoundland and Labrador.

While this opportunity is currently posted at the Director level, we welcome interest from experienced communications professionals and seasoned executives, with level, scope, and title to be considered based on experience, capability, and market presence. This is a rare opportunity for someone who knows the province, understands how decisions are made, and can move confidently between public affairs, government relations, corporate communications, and marketing conversations. Our Newfoundland and Labrador presence is an important part of our Atlantic and national network.

We work with clients across sectors, regions, and issues, helping them navigate complex environments, build trust, and communicate with clarity. With a strong local and regional foundation and access to the full strength of NATIONAL’s offices across Canada, this role offers the opportunity to help shape what comes next in one of the country’s most distinctive and strategically important markets. The role This is a hands-on, senior market-building opportunity for someone who wants to be both strategic and practical, visible and grounded, independent and deeply connected to a national team.

We are looking for an entrepreneurial leader who can help grow NATIONAL’s presence in Newfoundland and Labrador while contributing to client work across Atlantic Canada and the broader NATIONAL network. Whether you’re currently living in the region, or looking to return home, the ideal candidate is deeply connected to the province. They understand the local business, political, and community landscape, and they bring the judgment, presence, and credibility to advise executives, engage stakeholders, and represent NATIONAL in the market.

Our office is located within the Board of Trade in St. John’s, offering a strong connection to the local business community and an energizing space for client work, collaboration, and growth.

What You Will Do

As a key member of the Atlantic and Canadian Advisory and Public Affairs practice team, you will provide senior counsel to clients navigating complex communications, public affairs, and reputational challenges. Our roster of clients are closely connected to the biggest opportunities and challenges NL is facing. You will bring a strong understanding of government, business, community, and media environments in Newfoundland and Labrador, with particular interest in sectors such as energy, defense, economic development, healthcare and other areas shaping the future of the province.

Ideally, your experience and skillset can contribute to client needs outside of NL and outside of Atlantic Canada. You will help lead and grow client relationships, identify new opportunities, and connect clients with the right expertise from across NATIONAL. You will be expected to work independently, think strategically, and manage mandates with confidence, while also knowing when and how to bring in colleagues from other offices and practice areas.

You will represent NATIONAL in the Newfoundland and Labrador market, helping to strengthen our visibility, relationships, and reputation. You will be comfortable in a boardroom, at a community event, in a government relations discussion, or in a marketing strategy conversation. You do not need to be a specialist in every discipline, but you should be an integrated thinker who understands how public affairs, communications, marketing, stakeholder engagement, and reputation intersect.

In this role, you will be part of the broader.